Many cable modems, including the SB6141, are vulnerable to cross-site scripting attacks; an attacker can trick people on your network into running code that factory resets your modem. To prevent this, use your router's built-in firewall to block the modem's local IP address. For Motorola modems, it's 192.168.100.1. And change your router's administrator password from the default if you haven't already; this prevents a similar attack from taking control of your router.

January 19, 2013:
It was pointed out that Comcast's modem list shows the SB6141 does not support IPv6. However, this list seems to be inaccurate; Motorola's website says the SB6141 does support IPv6 and we stand by our pick.

The SB6141 now has 1 ethernet output port and the image has been updated to reflect that. This isn’t an issue for most people since you probably have a router for Wi-Fi anyway. It also got $30 cheaper so buying one makes more sense than ever.

Recently, Time Warner Cable joined the ranks of Comcast and Cox by charging $4 a month to lease one of their subpar (read: dated) cable modems. Here’s one way of getting around it, as noted in “How to Beat Time Warner’s Bullsh*t Modem Rental Fee.” (To be fair, Comcast and Cox have been charging subscribers a whopping $7 a month to lease cable modems for some time.)

Should you decide to buy a modem as a Time Warner customer, it’ll take 23 months to recoup the cost of buying a modem like the SB6141, and at the other two carriers it only takes 13 months—not to mention you can always sell the modem if you ever decide to for a few bucks.

Let’s assume you want the most future-proof cable modem currently available and that you’re subscribed to a fairly high-speed service plan. If those two variables are checked off, then the SB6141 is the right choice for you. Why? For starters, It’s approved for use with Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox. It earned 75% five-star reviews on Amazon and the lowest percentage of one-star reviews at 3.1.

In dslreports.com’s FAQ about which cable modem they’d recommend, their answer is officially this:

“I would have to update this question every week, so I won’t provide a list here. Let’s just say that Motorola Surfboard line seems to be the favorite among a lot of people right now.”

To back that up, the Comcast community on dslreports.com has been the most vocal about the topic and consistently recommended or concluded that one of Motorola’s Surfboard modems is the best in annual polls since 2004. And according to Jeff Heynen an analyst at Infonetics, a telecom market research firm, the 6141 is the most popular DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem in terms of units sold.

What’s up, DOCSIS?

Before we get into the nitty gritty of why the 6141 is our pick, it’s worth getting the lowdown on what the heck this DOCSIS standard is all about. In a nutshell, Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications standard has allowed traditional cable television operators the ability to deliver high-speed Internet service over their existing hybrid fiber-coaxial infrastructure.

To date there have been four versions as governed by CableLabs, a non-profit R&D consortium founded in 1988 by cable operators to oversee the certification of DOCSIS compliant equipment. Each successive iteration has improved performance and added new features. For instance, the jump from 1.0 to 2.0 resulted in more upstream bandwidth. The jump from 2.0 to 3.0 is one of speed. DOCSIS 3.0 bundles multiple channels for one data stream at the same time, which obviously increases bandwidth over a single channel.

How about competing modems?

First off, avoid anything that’s a hybrid cable modem/wireless router (otherwise known as a gateway). They can be hard to troubleshoot and if yours kicks the bucket, you’ll be left without any Internet service at all until a replacement can be found.

Other notable contenders include the Zoom 5341J, which is a popular one amongst the Comcast and Cox crowd but not quite as popular or written about as Motorola’s Surfboard line.

Given that the 6141’s closest competitor is the previous generation 6121, which has been around much longer and has more street cred, we picked the 6141 because it is, in theory, a faster portal. The 6141 can bond eight downstream channels and four upstream channels (8×4) topping out at over 300 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up, whereas the 6121 only supports four-channel bonding (4×4) both ways, reaching speeds of up to 160 Mbps down. It also only costs $10 extra so you might as well spend a little extra now to futureproof your setup.

Futureproofing

Realistically, you’d never be able to reach those speeds regardless. Stephen Froehlich, the principal analyst at IHS’s Telecoms & Media group, had this to say:

“As far as I know, no US cable operator currently exploits the full capability of an 8×4 DOCSIS 3.0 modem, but they are instead only running a maximum of 3×1 on their plant. Therefore, an 8×4 modem will last longer, but it won’t run faster right now.”

So why stick with the 6141? Well, if you’re a Cox subscriber at the highest service tier (Ultimate), for example, you’re going to need an 8×4 cable modem starting next year. Todd C. Smith, the Media Relations Director at Cox told us the following:

“We have started to require DOCSIS 3.0 8×4 devices because of our plans to extend 100 Mbps speeds to additional markets next year (we currently offer it in one market on the residential side (Rhode Island) and multiple markets on the business side).

We are in the process of configuring all markets to bond 8 channels. Some are already there and all will be by end of next year.”

Based on region and tier of service, Time Warner Cable does require the use of an 8×4 cable modem, says a TWC rep. Comcast doesn’t require subscribers to have an 8×4 cable modem at this time and says it is only utilizing 4×4 channel bonding for its 200 Mbps service tier.

But it’s important to note that you don’t need to have a service plan that exceeds or even comes close to 100Mbps for your cable company’s infrastructure to require your modem to be DOCSIS 3.0 compatible. And while most of the major providers in the US haven’t fully deployed the DOCSIS 3.0 infrastructure or even support 8×4 channel bonding, they likely will within the next two years.

I also noticed some chatter on the forums that an 8×4 cable modem could deliver a more consistent service experience but that has very little to do with the cable modem itself. In fact, it really has more to do with your provider’s backend, says Froehlich.

“As for reliability, that has much more to do with the condition of a cable plant than anything else. What I see more often than anything else (in a Time Warner plant) is that the network equipment doesn’t have a battery backup, so its subject to power outages. As DSL is built to telco reliability standards (which includes many hours of battery backup), it tends to be more reliable in terms of uptime.”

Now, just because there’s a huge push to upgrade to DOCSIS 3.0 modems that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to fork over more than $100 right now. But here’s where it comes down your individual cable company and where you are located—

If you want to be safe, we recommend the 6141. But if you want to save $10 now, call your provider and ask if your tier of internet speed (or the tiers you want in the future) require DOCSIS 3.0 or if DOCSIS 2.0 will be okay—and for how long until DOCSIS 3.0 is required. Also ask how long DOCSIS 2.0 modems will be supported.

If you’re a Time Warner Cable subscriber, for instance, you could get by with a DOCSIS 2.0 modem for a while since the deployment of the 3.0 infrastructure isn’t yet ubiquitous. But certain tiers of service require a 3.0 cable modem (please see the chart below) even WITHOUT reaching the theoretical caps of the DOCSIS specification, because the carriers have infrastructure that requires more bonded channels.

The same goes for all the other major providers in the US, including Comcast even though the 3.0 infrastrastructure has been fully deployed. On August 29, Comcast posted to their Xfinity forums that customers with a DOCSIS 1.1 cable modem would need to upgrade to a DOCSIS 3.0 as the dated models would be end-of-lifed, meaning you won’t be able to use it with Comcast.

If you’re a Cox subscriber, you’ll have to pick based on your level of service. Again, only those with the Ultimate service tier are required to have an 8×4 cable modem.

If you’re a Charter customer it gets a bit tricky. New customers are issued a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem and are not allowed to use their own. Existing customers who have been using their own modem and haven’t switched to Charter’s new plans can continue to switch up modems as they please. If you happen to be in the latter situation, then your best bet is the Motorola SB6121 or Linksys DPC3008 or 3010. But call Charter customer support before you go ahead and purchase a different cable modem. I received mixed answers from their PR team and online customer support. Unfortunately, it’s hard to say what cable modems they are issuing as it varies based on location, warehouse and technician but they appear to be issuing the Linksys DPC3000. Again, call ahead of time and inquire.

A good thing with renting: if you live in an area with a lot of weird power fluctuations and have seen a lot of cable modems get fried because of lightning storms and whatnot, renting means if it breaks the cable company will have to support and replace it.

Wrapping it Up

Few, if any, professional reviewers have taken the time to test cable modems. But we’re confident based on our research that the Surfboard 6141 is the best DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem available today for those with super fast Internet service. The slightly older 6121 is a more economical alternative for more economical service plans but that $10 in savings will definitely be cut short as the 6141 will stay relevant for at least a year or two longer.

Not everyone runs out to a separate router and
some people want to hardwire out to switches in different areas of the house so there are 4 jacks for access.

Brandon

Is there going to be an article for best DSL modem? I’m in the same boat of rentals just with a different technology.

Thanks!

http://www.facebook.com/MorganKocotis Morgan Kocotis

The biggest issue is if you run into issues. If you get a tech out and it was your modem that is the problem they are going to charge you for the trouble call then you still have to go buy a new modem.

http://profiles.google.com/zerianis10 Christopher Kidwell

Actually, there are some laws that say for things like that where you could not have known it was your issue, they cannot charge for the service call. Check your local codes, that is sometimes illegal.

http://twitter.com/yooper1019 Adam

Charter dropped modem rental fees but requires you to use their DOCSIS 3.0 modem and supply your own router.

Francisco

Will this (or any other DOCSIS 3.0) work in my country? that’s a piece of information that could be very useful to lots of readers. I use a DOCSIS 3.0 gateway and have lots of problem of double NAT with my Airport Extreme (It just won’t act bridged) so I’m interested in a non gateway cable modem.

WhyArePeopleSoFreakingStupid

WHY would you recommend a motorola cable modem? Motorola doesn’t release firmware updates to the public. They force you to get them from your cable provider and good luck getting them to do that.

Anonymous

You really don’t need firmware updates in most cases. At least that’s my experience w/ a few different Motorola models running on two different cable companies broadband networks.

Tier 1 Agent for ARRIS/Motoro

All except for Comcast and the 6580 when you do a factory reset on the 6580. Everything else is fine firmware wise. Usually it is signal from ISP or provisioning problems.

http://www.facebook.com/blam8 Brian Lam

what’s a better choice?

Temur Akhmedov

Brian, why are you talking to him? Look at the nick-name.

http://www.facebook.com/teddy.salad1 Teddy Salad

I believe he is from Uzbekistan.

tkeela

I am.

fukyourmom

Suckin Dick

cfbcfb

Comcast updated the modem with the latest firmware when they provisioned it. From what I hear, time warner is telling their customers that they won’t update customer owned modems. I expect that’ll last about 5 minutes past when someone calls one of the regulatory agencies and tells them that twc is forcing customers to rent their modems by refusing to update a customer owned unit. Open any review site, pick the reviews and look at the one star reviews. Most of them are twc customers with issues.

Tier 1 Agent for ARRIS/Motoro

Lol, we get that all the time at Motorola

jeffthechef

“Motorola is not allowed to control the upgrades of DOCSIS devices, per the standards specification.”

All cable modems do, router you can change the firmware, but not modems.

Jogging_Flower

At $2 per month rental fee… it will only take 65 months to break even. So in 5.5 YEARS it will earn me $0.

Great idea!

http://www.facebook.com/blam8 Brian Lam

most people pay more than 2 dollars a month, but that’s great to know some people ONLY pay 2. Most people I’ve talked to pay 4-7! Where are you and who is your cable provider?

James Kanka

$7/mon with Comcast in Nashville

Ed Goldman

$7 per month at Comcast Philadelphia area

TK68

$7 per month Comcast in Baltimore

themygy0

$7 per month here in Oakland, CA.

TheLievense

Comcast in Boston upped the rental fee to $12 (voice & internet)!

Anonymous

$6 with TWC in San Antonio, TX. Can’t believe I’ve been paying this fee for the last 7+ years.

Mindy

$5.99 with TWC – San Diego, CA. Ridiculous.

TheeGooch

Same. I even went overseas, they packed my rental modem in long term storage, I charged me $150 and a ding’d my credit history when I didn’t turn it in, That’s why I bought it when I returned to the US.

Anonymous

$7/month Comcast in Colorado

hillbillybob

$7.00/month in Detroit, MIchigan

Laird Le

$7 in Chicago

Josh Butcher

$7 per month, Comcast in Houston, TX

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep $7 too. Minneapolis, MN

WaitOneMinute

TWC is now $5.99 per month in Southeast WI area. It was free all these years.

eaadams

$8/mon with Comcast in Davis, CA

Capo

had a rental modem for 10 years at $7 p/m …didn’t even know I could by my own….My “rental” modem cost me $840…Thanks comcast!

Randy

The SB6141 is only $80 now. My cable co charges me $7 per month for my modem. So at that rate, this modem will pay for itself in 11 months! That IS a GREAT IDEA!

Shawn

I am a Charter customer who currently owns my own DOCSIS 2.0 modem. Why do you recommend the 6121 instead of the 6141 if I were to upgrade to 3.0: “If you happen to be in the latter situation, then your best bet is the Motorola SB6121…”

Matt K

If you have Charter don’t get your own modem. They recently stopped letting customers use their own modems but they don’t charge a rental fee anymore. Also, all the modems are now wired only so you’ll have to get a router if you don’t have one already.

Anonymous

Insider here.

You can have a rented phone modem and a customer-owned internet modem (or even have both of them rented), but you’ll still be charged $7/mo.

Comcast has an agreement with Best Buy where you can buy an Arris 722G DOCSIS 3.0 EMTA and have an in-store Comcast rep add it to your account. This is necessary if you have phone service, because the EMTA (i.e., the phone + cable modem) has to be “provisioned” by the in-store rep – it needs to be linked with your account, your phone number, and your phyiscal address. If you buy an EMTA and try to have it provisioned over the phone, the phone reps can’t do that. Also, if you buy a used EMTA or modem off the Internet, it might actually be a rental someone sold by “mistake”, in which case you have a very nice paperweight since it’s still on the other person’s account and can’t be moved.

beer

thanks, allium; good info. Comcast recently provisioned me with an Arris TM822G EMTA rental which Amazon has for $190. Hate it, but sticking with renting $7/mo for now.

Kjacobs

Time Warner refused to let me use my own DOCSIS 3.0 modem a few months ago, they insisted that the only one I could use was their gateway device, so I’m stuck with my old Motorola that has issues.

Dustin Carpenter

Been using an SBG6580 ever since upgrading my service to DOCSIS3.0 and from what I have read it seems the 6141 and the 6580 are identical aside from the 6580 including a built in wireless router. I can definitely vouch for these modems, they are fantastic.

James Kanka

Thanks Dustin. Can anyone else vouch for this? A used 6580 is very close in price on Amazon and it would be nice to delay having to get a wifi router at the same time if the modem is the same.

Raptor

here is a piece of stupidity, we have TWC phone and internet, so i called up to find out how i get my eMTA for the phone and the guy said keep my current modem for phone only at no charge. basically if i want phone and internet thru their modem there is a 4usd charge but if i used it for phone only there is no charge….. just ridiculous

Jim Darr

How did you wire the two modems???

Troller

You need a splitter and 2 short coax wires. Splitter on incoming coax, then 1 short coax to existing phone and 1 to new cable only modem. I was told by TWC CS Supervisor to go to local branch and request an Internet self install kit (contains both splitter and coax); free of charge.

Max

So does this thing work with Verizon FiOS?

Anonymous

Isn’t the Fi in FiOS “Fiber?” This is a cable modem. FiOS is a completely different layer 1 transport.

riopato

Fios doesn’t use modems. Their ONT acts as a hub in place of a modem and they give you a wireless router for Cable, phone and internet.

killians913

So please help me with understanding the answer to the question. Will this cable modem work with Verizon FiOS?

riopato

NO! All cable modems will not work on Fios since Fios is fiber optic technology that works like point to point access. Cable is like a power strip sharing electricity from one power feed outlet which needs a modem in order to access that feed.

James Randolph

The new one gave me nothing but trouble. I got an older model. SB6120 I think my problems are related to my back woods ISP but this works wayyyyyy better.

http://twitter.com/CmputrBlu Victor Buttaro

If it hasn’t been mentioned; that’s not the SB6141 in the image. That’s the SBG6580 which is also a wireless router and why it has the 4 LAN ports.

Just saying

Over the River

I recently upgraded my old SA to the Motorola SBG6580. I am pleased as punch with it, rock solid and dependable.

Disclaimer: I have disabled wireless features as I have those already on a different subnet.

Ryan

So, this does or does not have 4 ethernet ports and wired router capability? The picture you have shows 4 ports, but the actual product page on Motorola’s site shows a different picture both front and back, and only mentions 1 gigabit ethernet RJ-45 port.

Which is it?

M K

I bought the SB6141 to replace the Sb6121 about a week ago and I notice a big improvement with my Comcast Blast Internet speed. I am very happy I made the change. My computer is now lightning fast. Dec 31,2012. Brighton,Mich.

jjwat

the picture you have posted for this item is for the motorola wireless gateway not the sb641.

jjwat

6141 sorry

http://twitter.com/CallasEsq Steven Callas, Esq.

Should I be concerned that the SB6141 doesn’t have a checkmark under IPv6 according to the Comcast list http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/ ? Wouldn’t IPv6 capabilities be a necessity when it comes to future-proofing the device? Even more curious, the 6121 has IPv6 checked on that list. Is that list misleading?

http://twitter.com/andrewkalinchuk Andrew Kalinchuk

Hi Steven. We looked into this for you and found that Motorola’s product page says the SB6141 does support IPv6. The link to Moto’s site is up top if you’d like to look for yourself. Hope this helps! Looks like Comcast needs to update its info.

Ed Goldman

I just chatted on-line with Comcast (Philadelphia area) and was told that the SB6141 will support telephone service and can be activated by Comcast. I just purchased mine and waiting for delivery. I kept a copy of my on-line chat for future reference.

930

did this work?

Da Kid

Comcast has now added a checkmark to IPv6.

Paul-the Silicon Valley.

Thanks for the good read! Just dumped AT&T DSL and I’m going with Comcast so I bought this SB6141 modem today from Amazon. None of the brick and mortar stores even offer them in my area, the northern Silicon Valley, CA. FYI, AT&T U-verse can’t come close to the speeds Comcast offers in my neighborhood and DSL is a joke here. Thanks again!

Paul

Mihai

What’s the best router for use with the SB6141? Occasional reliability issue (internet cuts out).
Currently have the D-Link DIR-655, which is rated very well so I’m not sure if this is on my end or the service’s end

smith

I use the ASUS RT-AC66R Dual-band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router. I haven’t had any problems yet.

I have an SB6141 on Time Warner Cable SoCal (North Hollywood) and I tried to upgrade to Extreme internet. I was able to do so with the online chat desk, yet the speeds never changed. After a week of back and forth with online chat, Phone Chat, and finally a Trouble Call, the tech determined that no purchaseable modem would get me the 30/5 speeds of Extreme. He plugged in the rental modem with wireless built in (Arris brand, not a Motorola) and the speed increase showed up immediately. The tech said that it had something to do with the network not being provisioned for both Mac Addresses on the modem and their system not being set up for it yet.

Okc Dave

The tech was wrong. It was a matter of editing the existing provision instead of entering a new one, or deleting the old then entering it again at the higher service tier.

Tier 1 Agent for ARRIS/Motoro

Most Likely just need to factory reset the modem to accept the new provisioning file for faster speeds.

Can we hookup an external hard drive via usb on this modem? And if yes, can it have port setup for remote access from different location? And if yes, would it be possible to launch utorrent from remote location without need to access local pc, or will something like ftp have to be used. Tks

Alan Dallas

No, it’s a just Cable Modem, not a All-in-one device(or Gateway Device as it’s called in some circles). Which by the way an all-in-one is highly frowned upon by most installers and maintainers. Use a separate Router with the connectivity features you need. For your needs I recommend an ASUS RT-AC66U, look it up on Amazon.

Bill

I have this modem and use Time Warner broadband for my land telephones as well. Is there a way to use this Modem since it has no telephone jacks like the TW modems? Or did I buy the wrong modem?

http://twitter.com/jrock3x8 Jason Williams

don’t most people get phone and internet from the same provider? why not review cable modems with included eMTA?

Rob

Jason, most of the people I know have either cancelled their land line phones or have switched to a VOIP service like Vonage. You get unlimited calling for a cheaper price and you get to stick it to the big man. Win win, if you ask me!

Nebelraser

Unlimited calling for free using an OBi100 and Google Voice is even better.

cfbcfb

Seems you need a new expert. My cable system bonds 5 downstream and 3 upstream and they’ve been doing that for almost a year. Also I was able to buy this modem for $65 from an ebay seller that had several thousand of them for sale, and others are still able to pick it up for <$70.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=51304029 Michael Rosario

I pay $3 a month, and the cable modem they provide has a poor web interface. Buying a better modem is certainly a good idea.

Make certain you buy the WHITE retail version of the 6141. The black ones being sold on the web at lower prices are USED modems. (See amazon’s detailed review by “permutations.”) Also, be aware that Motorola will not push firmware updates for customer-owned modems. Important if you’re a TWC customer, because they won’t push firmware updates to your modem, either. Reports are that other cable companies (like Comcast) will auto-update your gear, but I’d check with your provider before buying a 6141.

vrknoise

I confirmed this is true after buying the black version from Amazon, then finding this information after the fact. I ended up calling Motorola, gave them the serial number on the modem, and they said the 1 year warranty on that modem was set to expire in December of 2013. I purchased mine on April 19, 2013. Don’t buy the “discounted” black one.

StockStalker1

You’re one of the suckers that pays extra for extended warranties, aren’t you?

Anonymous

The black version seen on eBay is not necessarily “used”. More likely they’re new but grey market, sold in bulk packaging for distribution through ISP’s. The warranty started when Motorola shipped the modems to the distributor.

Buying a black SB6141 is like buying the OEM version of Windows. It’s exactly the same as retail Windows, but is technically only supposed to be bundled with a new computer.

Tier 1 Agent for ARRIS/Motoro

Black is meant for ISP lease and white is retail. Black are not covered under warranty replacement, white has a 1 year warranty if there is a manufacturer malfunction.

http://www.facebook.com/barb.robert Barb Robert

What is the best router to buy for this modem?

niuguy

A good router is a good router. Doesn’t matter which modem you pair it with. Asus nt66u is a favorite amongst power users.

Anonymous

You mean Asus RT-N66U. I own one, and it is a wonderful router. It’s $150, but considering that it’s a solid and powerful high-end router, that’s quite a reasonable price. They also have an AC version in case you have any AC capable devices, or want to future proof for AC.

Isaac Am

I tried the Asus nt66u and the Cisco AC1750, and there is no comparison. The Cisco IS MUCH BETTER with no doubt…

Bitzilla

but cisco has a very large back door to access all your system file and private info, cisco is a government company now, buy a asus rt-ac66u

I renewe my charter service last week in Los Angeles and I received a 6141.

Anonymous

Comcast’s Modem list was corrected and now shows that the Motorola SB6141 Cable Modem is IPv6 compatible.

Mike

I purchased my sb6141 the end of may 2013 from eBay, for less than $69! It was brand new, sealed. Works great!

Dean

If I buy one of these, I realize I will no longer have to pay TWC’s monthly $3.95 rental, but what about the $4.95 monthly charge for “Home WiFi”?

Will Taylor

This is not a router and doesn’t have Wifi. This is a modem into which you connect the coaxial cable. You may then plug this into a router (wired or wireless) or directly into a computer, etc.

LR

I AM CURRENTLY A VERIZON INTERNET CUSTOMER. I OWN MY DSL MODEM ROUTER WHICH SUPPORTS MY ETHERNET CONNECTION TO MY MAIN PC AND ALSO GIVES ME IN ANOTHER ROOM WIRELESS ON MY LAPTOP WITHOUT THE USE OF A SEPARATE ROUTER.I AM CONSIDERING GOING WITH COMCAST INTER. SERVICE BUT MY DSL ROUTER WILL NOT WORK WITH COMCAST BROADBAND.I AM DOING THIS FOR $$ REASONS TO SHUT DOWN MY LANDLINE PHONE.IS THERE AN AFFORDABLE BROADBAND MODEM ROUTER TO WORK THE SAME WAY AS THE ABOVE? I ONLY USE THE WIRELESS LAPTOP AT HOME. THE PC DESKTOP IS NOT WIRELESS. THANK
YOU.

Anonymous

Buy a new keyboard that doesn’t have a stuck caps lock key, and we’ll talk about solving your problem

The SB6141 is now $87 and I too agree that it is a great modem. I have been using mine now for almost three months and the modem is still going strong. I actually get a little bit more speed than what I should be getting. 5 of 5 stars for me. Smart buy to beat the cable companies rental fees. Pays for itself within a few months and it’s ready for the the future. http://www.elite-lists.com/search/label/Comcast%20Modems

Thanks. FWIW, I purchased a used 6141 (non-retail, black box) and so far it’s worked fine on comcast.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

That’s great! Good to hear it worked out well for you.

Justin Bell

With comcast you need to watch the bill like a hawk, too. They keep on sneaking that rental charge onto my account even though I have never rented a modem from them since they bought our local Insight franchise several years ago.

However, any time I make a change like add a cable card to the account, or remove the DTAs they started charging for, that rental fee gets added back again.

eyeforeye42

I saw on their ad the work with PC stuff but no mention of Apple? Does this work with Apple products? (Only reason I ask is they specifically stated PC and nothing about Apple which I thought was strange!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yes, it will.

Marco

Many of these modems are defective. Amazon reviewers claim that the black models are either used or fakes. In my case, the SB6141 (which I purchased based on Wirecutter’s recommendation) caused intermittent loss of Internet connectivity, at a rate of every 20-30 seconds. It took several weeks of network troubleshooting with Time Warner Cable and Apple (my router is a Time Capsule) before I finally figured out that the modem was at fault. I replaced the SB6141 with a Zoom 5341J, and that solved my problem. I’ve returned the defective SB6141 to Amazon for a refund. My advice: if you do buy the SB6141, be prepared for possible problems, particularly if you use it with an Apple router.

Pisby

Mine is doing exactly the same thing. it is really frustrating. I think I will send mine back and try the Zoom as well. Every half hour I have to unplug it and plug it back in. Then it works normal. It didn’t do it for the first 2 weeks or so. Possibly the firmware updated without my knowledge. sometimes I’m downloading at 50 MPS others 2. FYI it is consistently 11-12 up. I’m using Comcast and the white Surfboard Sb6141 also purchased based on amazon recommendations.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Black or white?

Oliver Hulland

Marco, I am having the exact same problem with the SB6141. I’ve spent hours with the comcast reps due to extremely erratic internet connection, and they just don’t have a clue. I just ordered the Zoom 5341J and am hoping it will fix the problem.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Do you own a black one or white one?

bemental

If you do a bit of digging on Apple’s forums you’ll notice a significant trend with this and similar models of the SB line of modems. Looks to be some sort of DNS issue (as setting my SBSB6141 to OpenDNS solved MOST of the issues) but even then I had to replace the modem because it just wasn’t worth my time anymore.

TWC sent out a technician and he replaced all the parts he could access (and while some of them were rusty from the oceanic environment we live close too) the problems persisted like clockwork.

Of note I’ve only seen this to be a problem with Motorola’s SB line of cable modems and Apple’s AirPort line of wireless routers (to include Time Capsules). Otherwise this modem is rock solid and I purchased it because of numerous sites recommending this as the best modem currently around (at a very affordable price, too).

Is is possible there is an IP conflict? I know most folks use 192.168.1.xxx or 192.168.0.xxx but not having an AirPort his might be something to look at.

“The SURFboard cable modem can be used as a gateway to the Internet by a maximum of 32 users on a Local Area Network (LAN). When the Cable Modem is disconnected from the Internet, users on the LAN can be dynamically assigned IP Addresses by the Cable Modem DHCP Server. These addresses are assigned from an address pool which begins with 192.168.100.11 and ends with 192.168.100.42. Statically assigned IP addresses for other devices on the LAN should be chosen from outside of this range” – Taken from the modems “Diagnostic” pages.

PhoneBill

How were you able to set the DNS settings on the SB6141? I couldn’t find anything so I simply set it on my router’s dhcp settings.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

The black ones are supposed to be ISP models only.

“Make certain you buy the WHITE retail version of the 6141. The black ones being sold on the web at lower prices are USED modems. (See amazon’s detailed review by “permutations.”) Also, be aware that Motorola will not push firmware updates for customer-owned modems. Important if you’re a TWC customer, because they won’t push firmware updates to your modem, either. Reports are that other cable companies (like Comcast) will auto-update your gear, but I’d check with your provider before buying a 6141.”

I’ve seen the power supply to be causing these problems, not the modem. Check the voltage and output current rating, and try another power supply if possible. It fixed many of these issues.

Capo

Same problem here 6141 and an Apple Time Capsule…this thing drops me 15-20 times a day….

Tier 1 Agent for ARRIS/Motoro

Either Power, Modem itself or signal coming into your house.
Most of the time it is signal lvls.

http://hpka.net/ Henry Armitage

I’m thinking of going to a new ISP, Teksavvy, in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Looking on their site, they only support 1 Motorola cable modem, the SB6120.

Will I miss much if I get the SB6120? Not that I get a choice, but just curious…

Mike Leibowitz

I bought the modem and wireless BUT how do I hookup my phone service?

Amos Lakos

What about a “best” modem to replace the one Comcast installs when you sign a “3” bundle that includes a VoiceOver Ip to replace your normal land line. Available modems are all over $100 – any advice?

shultquist

I am interested in this, as well. Any insights? I have telephony and Internet from Comcast (only because they are the only provider with reasonable bandwidth in my area).

Marc

The Arris TM822G is the best telephony modem and it’s on Comcast’s approved list. You can buy it on Amazon. It’s not cheap. I own in on Comcast and it works great.

Tier 1 Agent for ARRIS/Motoro

If you want a modem/router combo and want teleophony TG862g/CT for COmcast would be good. Make sure it is the /CT version or it will not work with Comcast.

madeup69

Incorrect. This is why there is such much confusion in the IT world. The CT version is the Comcast branded combo unit. . The regular TM822G available on Amazon works fine on Comcast. Although as reviewers have pointed out the s***bags at Comcast can and likely will make your life hell when you try to use your own cable modem with voice.

moezappa

It’s the s***bags at Comcast JOB and likely sole purpose in life to make their customers life a living hell… They’ve been well trained. I suspect they would have turned Mother Teresa into a Lunatic with an Uzi.

Bonny Bergstrom

Never if they came in contact wit mother Teresa they would stop being evil s***bags and support you wit compassion.

Siddharta Biscia

What about the motorola SB6180? It is of the surfboard line, and it come for half the price of the 6141. Thoughts?

Laird Le

My local Costco carries this now for $79. If you’re an executive member then you get an additional 2% back on it

A friend has a modem that serves him phone and internet. Is there a solution to avoid renting the modem besides getting rid of his landline?

Will Taylor

The article really ought to be reflective of more recent pricing, as the difference between the 6141 and the 6121 is now closer to $20. I really don’t understand this review anyway because it goes on and on about DOCSIS and the older 6121 is also DOCSIS 3.0, so you’re recommending a newer version that has more “unutilizable” benefits than ones that customers could actually benefit from. An odd choice methinks. -WT

Josh Butcher

Agreed. The final sentence is misleading; the 6121 will remain ‘relevant’ even after carriers move exclusivley to DOCSIS 3.0 because it supports the 3.0 standard. It’s just that the throughput could be (theoretically) ~2x faster with the 6141.

I still agree with the recommendation, however, as that’s pretty cheap future proofing.

Okc Dave

Nope, for people on a budget it will be many years before their budget allows upgrading to a service tier where they would see any benefit from 6141 over 6121, (over 150Mb) and by many I mean not in a decade which is beyond the expected lifespan of the product. The existing infrastructure in most areas couldn’t even support the lower (budget) tiers of service being over 150Mb, you’d effectively be reduced by congestion.

I can see both sides, but I lean towards Okc Dave’s argument. In Denver, Comcast doesn’t even offer anything faster than 105Mb (Fall, 2014), and that costs $100/month, which is insane.
Why spend an extra $20 on something you may never need to be future-proofed from? By the time speeds over 160Mb are available to me at a price that I’d choose to pay, will I still be using Cable for internet, or will DOCSIS 3.0 even be supported? I suspect I’ll be on fiber by then.

Sure, it’s “just” $20, but this is one of many similar decisions where saving a little adds up to a lot that I can invest in something I’ll really get a bang out of.
Granted, I chose to downgrade my internet to 3Mb (not a typo, that’s three) to spend my money on other things, and after setting up some ghetto QoS, I’m not missing the previous 6Mb, despite streaming video and playing games online simultaneously. Everyone has a different threshold for worrying about the future, but think it’s unlikely I’ll be kicking myself in 5 years that my modem can only go 25 to 50 times as fast as I need it to right now.

Great info on the modems. If you search for your cable provider in Amazon’s reviews, there are some really good tips for particular issues that are quick to circumvent.

Josh Butcher

Your point is well taken but I still stand by the statement that ~$20 (less now?) is “pretty cheap future proofing.”

I can’t see $20 on a one-off purchase breaking the bank for many people.

Nathan Vexler

So I’m up in Canada and Rogers has upgraded their network and does not support the 6121 anymore. Judging by my experience, the 6141 will give you enhanced longevity.

Joel

You keep mentioning the 6121 not being as relevant when 3.0 is required, yet it is 3.0. Just not 8×4 channels.

The “Important Specs” near the top of the page says max downstream speed is 160 MB/s but the text of the page says”The 6141 can bond eight downstream channels and four upstream channels (8×4) topping out at over 300 Mbps down”. So which is it?

Michael Perla

is this still the best modem? I am going with time warner

Rudolf F. Borsics

I have 4 ethernet connection on my modem and use all four. SB6141 has only one. Must be a way to get around this, but must be some way…

savannah

What’s the difference between the Surfboard 6120 and the Surfboard 6141 cable modems?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I cannot name all of the differences, but I know of one big one – date. The 6120 is older. I had one many years ago with Comcast. Amazon’s page for the 6120 there is a notification at the bottom if you try to buy it that a ‘Newer version of the 6120 is available': That newer version mentioned is the Surfboard 6141, the very modem we recommend!

I bought a 3.0 DOCSIS Surfboard and Charter would not allow me to use it as it wasn’t ‘registered’ with them. Yet they were dishing out the very same modem. Now I have some unknown model of gawd knows what. I hate Charter but have no choice.

Paul

Absolutely no way! This is a horrible modem, just search for it on Comcast. I returned it and bought the Zoom 5341J, which should have been selected as the best pick. It’s been working great for months.

Capo

I’ve had so many problems with the 6141

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Note: Only buy the white ones. It’s very possible if you purchase a black model, it may be a used ISP model and you could experience issues. Thank you!

-Tony

http://www.sawcreatives.com Stephen Weber

Hey thanks for the article! I currently have the previous model to this and it unfortunately only has one output. I have comcast security as well which places their own wireless router (which sucks) into my modem, and then they plugs my apple airport into the security router. So it goes modem -> security wifi router -> apple wifi airport.

I really wanted perspective on whether the SB6141 was worth the extra $17 vs. the SB6121 (as of Dec’13, Amazon). However, this article is confusing because it referencing the SB6121 as DOCSIS 2.0 at times and at other times indicates much more ‘future proofing’ with the SB6141? In fact, per Amazon specs., they are BOTH DOCSIS 3.0, with the SB6121 having 4 channels (172Mbps) and the SB6141having 8 channels (343Mbps). Per the article, the ‘future’ plans of cable companies is 100Mbps. So really-really, how many years until you estimate that the mid-Tier (i.e. Turbo) type plans will exceed the 172Mbps of the SB6121?

Leo Mir

Update – I think the 160 Mbps shown above on the right is for 4 channels, but the SB6141 has 8 channels, or 320 Mbps maximum. I also tested it with Comcast and it most definitely supports IPv6

Len R

Will it support Comcast phone and internet

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

No phone jacks. Modem only.

Joey

I am subscribed to TWC I have had issues with these Motorola modems for the past 2 years everytime I upgrade. I am not sure what modem I should use to fix my issue but I should be getting 30 down and 5 up but wirelessly I get anywhere from 0.70 to 15 down and 0.40 to 4 up it just randomly got extremely bad since this last upgrade 2 months ago it was fine for the first few weeks then it gradually got worse and now its hard to just surf the web. Hard Wired its fine its over 30 and 5 but wirelessly on every PC in my house its around 10-14 down but sometimes it drops to 1 down, the modem was replaced yesterday and ive been on the phone countless times and researched the issue but no results. At this point its either getting DSL or sticking with bad wireless internet and no other companies except TWC and Frontier are offered in my area, I have the Motorola SBG6580 modem I don’t remember if this was the same as the one I had last year or not but its what I have now and its pretty bad. Any advice would be great ive tried everything suggested but let me know if you have any advice thanks

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I really am kind of confused here. The modem you own, which has wireless built in, is problematic? Have you ever considered getting a dedicated modem like the one above and a wireless router (not from your ISP provider, obviously)?

Joey

no, I haven’t thought to buy my own because im not sure where the issue exists and im not sure what you mean by dedicated modem? is that just a regular modem without the wifi compatibility like a standard modem ive never personally own a regular modem outside any ISP company so I don’t know what to except but ive owned wirelessly routers and never had any issues before, But just a heads up yesterday my mom downgraded my internet from Extreme 30/5 to Turbo 20 or 22/2 not sure exactly but my wifi signal is stronger now I think it could have been when I upgraded the signal slowed down and made it worse but I may see if I can check by upgrading then if it doesn’t work ill just check the turbo or get DSL I cant stand TWC worst company ive ever had, and Comcast and others are not offered so its them or Frontier DSL or satellite internet

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yes that’s what I meant by dedicated modem – no wireless, basic function. TWC is pretty bad. Let me know if you bump into issues again and if you think the downgraded ISP tier helped.

Joey

Yeah honestly downgrading my internet did help for some reason my wirelessly internet was really bad and I know it couldn’t have been interference or anything because it was constantly and in all rooms in my house but I downgraded and it corrected its self then I went back to the regular extreme its still not about 20 mbs but its close to it, its like 16-19mbs and that is far better than 0.70-14mbs so I am satisfied for now I have another technician scheduled for Saturday so ill see if anything changes by then and update you but this happened last year and we downgraded and it fixed its self also im not sure what was wrong but thanks for staying active on here

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

No prob. Hope it remains consistent. We’ll be here in case it doesn’t!

Daniel King Farris

I am shopping for a 6Mbps connection’s modem, but I want to get the best modem I can buy in anticipation of moving to a different area with faster DSL. The Pioneer CS guy said that I would need something with a VPI of 0 and a VCI of 35. Would this modem work?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Trying to get this figured out.

Dubya

Sounds like you want a DSL modem, so the SB6141 would not work.

HDL

I recently read that ONLY the white version is suitable for consumers, and that the black version is designed to allow ISPs to apply their firmware mode.

Is this true? Can you provide any additional commentary on this issue?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yes, that is correct

HDL

Hmmm, I don’t recall seeing the white model as an option in October 2012, nor any comments about the black model being only for ISPs…

Any idea as to when the white sb6141 model was first available?

BTW, the black version has worked OK for me since Oct 2012, but I don’t have any benchmarks for determining if it has performance issues.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

It could be a newer thing. I saw this verified by a Comcast technician on a forum (verified comcast tech account). I’ll try to get more clarification.

HDL

OK, Thanks…

BTW, A Time-Warner Cable tech made a site visit today for another reason (Intermittent internet connection on the TWC side). When I asked about the different modems, he said he was not aware of any differences.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

No, there aren’t any ‘differences’. They are identical models, except the black ones are allegedly made and issued directly to ISP’s and not the public, while the white ones are retail and come in a retail box. The black ones come in an unmarked brown box.

I wish I would have saved the link as I’m having trouble finding it now. The black ones, if you purchase one, ship with an older firmware and (IIRC) are very likely to be some type of refurbished model. Still looking though as I’d really like to get to the bottom of this once and for all. So much speculation.

HDL

OK, thanks again!… I would be interested to know if I should (& how to) update the firmware on my black model.

For what it is worth, my network speed tested at > 16Mbps download & >1 Mbps upload, while passing through my old WRT54G WiFi, so it may be faster when connected directly to the cable modem. The TWC tech said the target for my location was 15 Mbps down & 1 Mbps up, so the modem seems to be working as intended…

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I think the firmware upgrade is regulated by the ISP, the posted link above by @jeffthechef:disqus seems to be correct

I’ve had the SB6141 for 3 months now and it’s been solid as a rock. The only complaint I have is that the LEDs on the front are brighter than any I’ve ever seen before. The flashing blue activity LED makes it look like there’s a cop car in my living room. I tried putting some tape over the front but the lights are bright enough to flash through the mesh grill sides of the modem.

Migraine

Oh man, the lights on this thing are bright enough to land airplanes.

eaadams

I disagree. On mine the lights are much less noticeable than my older 5101 as they aren’t such bright LEDs. They are more muted

Paul Ansuini

Can someone tell me the difference between a brown box Motorola SB6141 and the normal one? I thought I read somewhere that the brown box ones might not be as good, but I can’t find it again. Thanks in advance.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

The brown box versions is allegedly (partially confirmed by Comcast technicians) for ISP’s. The other ones are the white ones purchased in basic retail packaging.

eaadams

Is it hard to upgrade the firmware on the white ones? Or do you log into the modem like a router and just click ‘check firmware’?
for cable modems how often do they need firmware updates?

Seems like something that could brick my internet if it needs to happen often. It isn’t even like messing with the firmware of a computer, this is the firmware that controls my home internet + would require a comcast roll out to figure out if it was broken.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Which ISP do you have?

eaadams

comcast so I know this one will work

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

If I read right, you can push the firmware upgrade through the modems settings menu. I could be wrong, but I think that’s how it works. TWC was the only ISP blocking firmware upgrades for user-owned modems. I’ll link the data here when I get to it. Getting late here

Sorry was thinking back to upgrading the firmware on my Netgear last week via interface. Not a modem, my mistake. If you buy one, check the firmware, it might be the latest already – but if not, call Comcast.

“I am on the phone currently with Comcast and they are updating the firmware on the modem as we speak. They can update a single device from what I am told and according to what they are doing now. I have heard many complaints with this particular router and this version of firmware. I guess there are many issues with it, including a huge slowdown of speeds at radom times. The newer firmware is supposed to fix these issues and others have said it has as well. So I will take a look later tonight.
As far as the signal/connectivity goes, I had no problems what-so-ever with my previous device I leased from Comcast over the course of the past few years. Once I made the switch to this brand new SB6141 a month or two back is when I started experiencing the slow down and drop out issues.”

Reply from same user:

“I am now running on the firmware SB_KOMODO-1.0.6.10-SCM00-NOSH. I was running on version 1.0.6.6 or 1.0.6.8 before this update Comcast just did for me. Everything seems to be screaming fast like it used to be, knock on wood!”

I went ahead and bought the sb6141. I used the Wirecutter amazon link. love this site!

Works well and replaces my Comcast provided sb5101. Once installed you call into Comcast. They reboot it a few times and it goes through what seems like a number of firmware updates. Easy install. Took about 30-60min.

One thing of note in the picture above the online and power are in Green. However, on mine these remain the blueish on color. The green just flashes on startup. But on mine everything seems to be working well.

So far the only issue is in Battlefield 3 on Xbox 360 it seems to more frequently disconnect / lag out. However, I’m not confident that this is because of the modem as it could be the router or EA’s servers.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Really glad you’re happy with the pick & purchase. Thanks for the feedback!

I call this modem the Widowmaker, because my wife almost killed me for buying it. For two weeks, I heard angry cries from the living room about “Something being wrong with the Internet” or that the streaming movie “Was stuck”. Using this modem for two weeks was simply painful. I finally ended up on the Apple forums where I learned that this modem just sucks with an Airport Extreme. I followed every suggestion I could find ( restarts, restoring the Airport to factory defaults, checking modem firmware, adding an ethernet switch, using a crossover cable, etc.) to no avail. Finally I just bought a Zoom 5341J and it just worked. Really. I just plugged it in and every single issue went away. Search for SB6141 and apple airport and read the trials and tribulations of others. I’m sure the motorola is a lovely device, just not for me.

And yes, this was a brand new, WHITE, retail SB6141, with the latest firmware.

Oh, and the LED lights on the motorola are insanely bright. Typically this doesn’t bother me because I can just cover them up with some LightDims, but these LEDs shine out through the ventilation holes and are uncover-upable. Forget the SB6141 if you need to use it in the GuestRoom/Office like I did. There is absolutely no way to sleep in the same room with it.

Hi Pierre. The prices fluctuate so frequently on some sites that it’s impossible to keep up. However, the price is almost always in the ballpark, +/- $20. But thanks for the feedback!

Pierre_vanmedge

OK, I got it, thanks. By the way, thanks for the website which has already proven useful to me several times in deciding what to buy! Keep up the great work!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Happy to help and thanks for the kind words!

drew

I disagree with much of this article, for example Cisco modems (DPC3008/3010(same thing)) test at a much higher speed with 8×1 channel bonding (my cable co uses all the downstream channels of a D3 modem but just one of the upstream channels)….this equates to around 45Mbps OVER advertised speed on the downstream but exactly at advertised on the upstream. with the motorolas, they rarely see anything above advertised speed on upstream or downstream at the same 8×1 config. oh yeah plus the firmware thing, u can get cisco firmware but not motorola.

Scott Kensai

I work with D3 modems most of the day. I was INCREDIBLY sad when someone put the SB6121 firmware on my SBV6121. I talked to the guys at Moto (before they went to Arris) and found out they didn’t have the voice firmware anymore.
My recent favourite is the TG862G. I also have to work on TR-069 functions, so it is pretty nice. I have a hate on for the DPC3828s and 2320s.

Josephine

I got it for $75 at Costco

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

In store only though.

Capo

DO NOT ….I REPEAT….DO NOT TAKE THIS ARTICLE’S ADVICE….I have the SB6141 and I have been having packet loss and dropping issues for months….Every time I call Comcast they till me its a different reason….Splitters, Setup, Line signal, blah blah…Do an internet search on the 6141 and you will see, users all over the country are having issues with this modem dropping 10-15 times a day. From what I gathered it has to do with the sensitivity of the modem and the SNR it requires, anything too high will cause it to reboot. also check with comcast for their approved devices…. ( http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net ) …this gets 1 star out of 3. Ive given up and am going to “downgrade” today to the 6121…

johndavio

I appreciate your comments but the star system you refer to isn’t a rating of the effectiveness of the modem. It only refers to the testing the modem has undergone. If a modem has only one star it means the modem has only undergone minimal testing. A single star rating does not mean the modem wouldn’t pass higher levels of testing, it just means the higher levels of testing haven’t been done.

Lucas Powell

I have had the Zoom 5341j for two years and it has worked flawlessly so far. I’ve reset it maybe 3 times and that was just because my router needed to be reset so I figured why not reset the modem too. For the last year I just reset the router. Never had my cable go out. Very impressed for the price and having never heard of the brand before, it was recommended by the people at Microcenter.

http://brother7.net brother7

Thanks for the timely review, as my internet provider (Time Warner Cable) began rolling out a $5.95/month lease fee for their cable modem.
After I confirmed that the SB6141 was compatible, I purchased one from Amazon, called tech support to configure the equipment swap and returned their old modem.
Has worked trouble-free ever since. Money saved.

bill

what is the best router to use with the sb6141. I am new at this.I was told net gear.

I recently purchased this modem and am happy with it so far. I liked that it is White so it matches my Apple Time Capsule / Airport Extreme.

This one has 8 channels, versus 4 channels in the SB6121. I imagine 8 channels is better?

My only slight complaint is the Blue LEDs on the front panel are definitely too bright.

jessie

The original article and its update was posted more than one year ago–Is this still the best cable modem to buy?

http://tristantom.com Tristan

I’d say yes. This model hasn’t been replaced by a newer one or anything.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep. Still the best!

jessie

5 month update: i got an e-mail from comcast/xfinity informing me that “Our records indicate that your cable modem needs to be upgraded in order to ensure you’re getting the most out of your XFINITY® Internet service.”

do you think this might be a matter of upgrading the firmware on the modem? the modem is still listed on their website. i cringe at the thought of having to call comcast.

I’m happy with my 6141 modem, used with Comcast. My only complaint is that the bright blue LEDs on the unit are absurdly bright. If you have your modem and router connected to your living room cable outlet, then the bright blue flickering light can be a distraction when watching TV in a dimly lit room.

This was addressed in the article. “First off, avoid anything that’s a hybrid cable modem/wireless router
(otherwise known as a gateway). They can be hard to troubleshoot and if
yours kicks the bucket, you’ll be left without any Internet service at
all until a replacement can be found.”

Okc Dave

I would argue that the best is actually the SB6121 (also DOCSIS3) due to the lower cost, UNLESS your ISP service can benefit from the extra bonded channels meaning your ISP service is higher than 100Mb.

Mike

I’m upgrading from a SBV 5220 MOTO modem to a SB 6141,problem is the 6141 does not acomadate my FAX telephone line,any suggestions??llfowler@me.com

Tier 1 Agent for ARRIS/Motorol

It has 8 bonding channels not 4 bonding channels on the down stream. Each bonding channel can get up to 40 Mbps/sec. 8 x 40Mbps/sec = 320 Mbps.

http://GoAwayStalkers.com/ Athiest

I see quite a few people claiming Time Warner refuses to update the Motorola SB6141, and that is bad because Motorola relies on the ISP to perform firmware updates. I just chatted a TWC representative and I specifically asked him if Time Warner refuses to update the recommended modem, the Motorola SB6141, to work on their network. He says this is not true and they absolutely will update it. So, not sure what everyone is posting about, but this may be incorrect.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We’ll look into this – but did he update your modem? From personal experience, there’s a vast difference between a rep saying they will and a rep actually doing it.

Suckmymeat!!!!

This discussion made me as hard as a diamond in a snow storm! Suck it!

6120 owns your Gateway

6141 has nothing, but intermittent problems constantly on TWC in Socal. I wanted the new 8/8 channel bonding that had been upgraded in our area, but this modem was nothing, but a headache. Went straight back to the best Docsis 3.0 Modem and what I use is the infamous SB6120. The known Doc 3 router that isp frown upon because of modded firmware lol. I’ve heard stories about TWC in NYC banning this modem from being provisioned because people were using other ppl’s modem cert’s and getting free net. I’m not into that kind of stuff, nor do I know how to JTAG etc. If anyone disagree’s with the 6121 just get the 6120…. If you can find one. Absolutely flawless with RT-N66U.

One thing this doesn’t have that the Surfboard modem/router I rent from TWC currently is multiple ethernet ports. My current set-up has one cord going to my Time Capsule and the other one into the back of my Apple TV. What are my options here? Are there ethernet splitters that would do the same thing? Another model in this family that supports multiple hook-ups?

Markos Flowers

I was currently faced with the decision of purchasing this modem or the Zoom 5341J, purchased the Zoom just because they had it on special and I could not be happier with it.

can I use my time warner 6141 modem to hook up another pc in my same house and do it wireless using a net gear wgr614 wirless router

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Not quite sure what you mean? Can you clarify?

Mansgame

Wrong! In case anybody is reading this from google and has comcast, the SB6141 has many issues with Blast! The speeds, even when the line connection is perfect are far below advertised and often you have to restart the modem a few times to even get a decent speed. SB6121, even though it’s older seems to be compatible.

http://tristantom.com Tristan

I have this modem and the same Blast service with Comcast. No issues at all, I’m getting the speeds I pay for. I did have the issues you mention once in the past, but it turned out my line was plugged into a weak terminal in the basement of the apartment building. Sounds like your line or wiring is bad. Don’t blame the modem model.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Have you tried calling support to see if it’s an issue other than the modem? As @phototristan:disqus said it might be something else.

Jonathan Broome

I learned this week (9/15/2014) that Comcast has a specific firmware they deploy to users of this modem (labeled “SB_KOMODO-1.0.6.10-SCM01-NOSH”), and it works fine for many, but in *some* areas of service, that firmware combines with their upstream systems to produce a bug that limits your speed. Some affected users report < 1mbps service. I was getting 30mbps, way less than the 50mbps they advertised for the service I chose.

After several failed attempts to get help through phone calls, online chats, even 3rd party support forums (dslreports.com) where everyone said my signal, power and other settings looked normal and correct, I found that the Comcast support forum post I created with detailed info finally got results. My speeds went from 30mbps down, 5mbps up, to 99mbps down, 10mbps up on a wired connection. Wireless is still a bit slower for me, but faster than it used to be (this is not the cable modem's fault, and is more to do with my wireless router).

There is a new firmware version ("SB_KOMODO-1.0.6.14-SCM01-NOSH") that isn't comcast-certified yet, but resolved my speed issues on Comcast with the SB6141 immediately. If you're still having trouble, try asking specifically about the "14" version of the firmware they're testing. You can see your currently installed firmware by viewing this site from your own network: http://192.168.100.1 – look at the "Help" page there to find your firmware.

Hope it helps.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Thanks for these tips! Very helpful for everyone reading the comments on this post!

Rodalpho

“As far as I know, no US cable operator currently exploits the full
capability of an 8×4 DOCSIS 3.0 modem, but they are instead only running
a maximum of 3×1 on their plant. Therefore, an 8×4 modem will last
longer, but it won’t run faster right now.”

This is incorrect. The new Time-Warner “Maxx” offers 300mbps down and 20 mbps up and requires a 16×4 modem, commonly the SB6183, which is so new it’s not on Amazon yet. If you’re in NYC, LA, or any other area likely to get Maxx in the next year or so, do not buy the SB6141.

Note that 8×4 can theoretically handle 300mbps speeds, but that would consume all the channels available and would be shared with your neighbors. If you have a 8×4 device like the SB6141 in TWC Maxx areas, you will actually get 100 down/10 up rather than 300 down/20 up.

mark

I am using a Blurex DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with TWC and easily get 99Mbs according to speedtest.net. You say, ‘who is Blurex?’. Blurex is a Taiwanese company… that’s all I know. I am using a TP-Link TL-W3600 router. I bought both, due to their low prices, from Amazon. Aside from all of the flashing blue LEDs on the router and modem, I have never been happier. See my mini reviews on Amazon. Neither are brand names or flashy but they get the job done for me at great, reasonable, prices.

Bubba

I have a question, Do you know if the SB6183 is a good modem? I hear its very new. Can this be a better one than the 6141? Thoughts?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We haven’t reviewed it yet, but when we do we will update our guide accordingly!

Bubba

When searching for it, is it even available for sale? I cannot find it anywhere but when I search forum’s there are folks saying they have it.

Max Velasco Knott

I bought this modem and loved it, as I have with all my Wirecutter recommendation purchases. However, it seems to have consistent issues when used with Apple routers and Comcast service. Internet basically stopped working as soon as I switched ISPs. Would love to see this article reflect that issue. Does not seem to be uncommon: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5048548

I think it would be great if this was reflected in the article as a warning to others to save them frustration. Just spent 9 hours troubleshooting including 3 hours on the phone (and on hold) with Comcast and 1.5 hours with Apple.

I also feel as though this review references far less user experience and personal testing than many of the other reviews. This is perhaps the first time I’ve been disappointed with one of Wirecutter’s articles.

http://besologic.com Benson

+1 for issues with Apple Routers. I’m in San Diego, CA, with Time Warner Cable and spent a week troubleshooting intermittent issues with my connection. Internet would intermittently stop downloading for no apparent reason.

After reading the comments here, I decided to try the Zoom 5341J. It immediately fixed my connection issues.

Not sure what it is about the Moto SB6141 + Apple Router combo, but had all kinds of problems with it. I should mention that I was using the same Airport (it’s latest gen Apple Airport Express) with the Moto SB5101 (DOCSIS 2.0) modem w/o issue on Cox previously.

Note that the Zoom 5341J will not be able to exploit the full speeds of TWC’s Maxx. Currently only the SB6183 does this, and it does not seem to be available on Amazon yet.

Max Velasco Knott

Bought the Zoom. It worked. Got Apple to swap my Airport Time Capsule under warranty and it worked with the Motorola, so I switched back and returned the Zoom. Now everything is working fine … dunno if it’s a caching MAC address or what, but it didn’t show any symptoms or issues otherwise.

Tom Schulz

How do you open the wi fi on this modem

Gigi

I’m trying to find that out right now!

ottothecow

This is a modem. If you want wifi, you have to buy a wifi router.

Gigi

Boo! I thought it was 2-in-1. The one that I rented was, so I thought they all were. I’m not very techie.

Austin Brown

TWC says for their >100Mbs tier, you need a 16×4 modem to get the speeds.

Also, your sidebar contradicts your paragraph:
” The 6141 can bond eight downstream channels and four upstream channels (8×4) topping out at over 300 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up,”

Max downstream:160 Mbps
Max upstream:120 Mbps

bobackz

This article needs to be updated.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Why is that?

Gigi

How do I set up wi-fi for this unit? I’m connected via ethernet cable but can’t find the wi-fi.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

This is only a modem. You need to connect a wifi router to it for wireless capability.

Jees, I can’t stand the super bright lights on this modem. What the hell were they thinking?

http://tristantom.com Tristan

I agree. i had to put black tape over mine.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I swear I’m going to invent a light shield for this thing and make a fortune! Kidding, but if that is just about the only real “complaint”, it’s a good one. No?

nicmart

Then again, I don’t think I’ve read or heard a negative comment about any modem in 25 years. The Surfboard SB 5100 I replaced with this one has lasted more than 10 years and has nicely subtle lights.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Good point.

Sean

This will need to be updated. With the release of the new 300MBPS service from TW and many other cable providers, they are stating that this modem doesn’t support that level of speed. Instead they are pushing for 16×4 channel modem solutions like the Arris models (SB6183 is the current private party solution). However nobody can find them in stock at the moment. I would recommend a quick revisit and update at the top.

dave78701

I bought Motorola Surfboard SB6141 from Amazon. It died right at one year so there is no RMA. It is not a good product when it only lasted one year. I will not buy any Cable Modem from Motorola again

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Things like this happen. No product is infallible. If you look at the reviews on Amazon, even after at least a year it’s like a 4.8/5 rating, 3,000 reviews w/ only 200 1-stars.

Also, did you get a brown box one? Or a retail box one? Did you try resetting it or troubleshooting it? At one point my modem from Comcast didn’t work for a week and only after being escalated did I find out that it just had to be reprovisioned. Comcast lost the serial number attached to my account or something.

dfjosh

I don’t understand how nobody here has complained about the brighter-than-the-noon-day-sun blue lights on this modem. And the completely unnecessary flashing light that indicates nothing at all with its continuous rate. Seriously, in a dark room the lights are horribly distracting.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Many readers have expressed their dislike for the bright LED’s on this modem, but in the grand scheme of things — do bright LED’s really matter? As long as the modem works wonderfully?

Also, I don’t know many people that keep their modem in plain sight. Mine is tucked behind my entertainment center right now.

I guess one way to remedy this would be to take 2 layers of scotch tape and apply them cleanly over the strip of lights to dim them (but still see for troubleshooting purposes).

dfjosh

If many readers have expressed this in the comments don’t you think it would be wise to at least mention it in the article? I honestly don’t think I would have bought it had I known how insanely bright the lights were. I don’t feel bad about wanting my electronics to perform well and look good (or at the very least not be a visual nuisance). The thing is, this modem actually looks awesome but the white tape I’ve had to layer over the lights pretty much ruins any asthetic it had. And even then, the blue lights leak out the spaces in the white casing. This design choice is significant enough that I probably would have been much happier with a runner up that didn’t suffer from fusion powered indicator lights. I know, I could have returned it if I wanted to, this is just my humble suggestion for this article. I really do like this site and want it to succeed.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

If the lights on the modem impacted the functionality of it, I think it would be a bigger deal. It’s a non-issue on a device that was not designed to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. But noted.

dfjosh

A non-issue? That’s like saying a fork that squirts lemon juice in your eye is a non-issue; what does it matter if it gets your food from your plate to your mouth? Would your solution be to close your eyes while you eat, since it’s such a good fork? For the sake of your readers, just mention it in the article. One sentence.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Forwarded along to our editorial staff. They’ll decide whether it warrants a mention or not.

I’d liken it to someone that buys a Ferrari and then complains that the turn signals are too bright & blink too much when turning. You barely see it and it doesn’t hamper the performance of the engine.

dfjosh

Dude, I would drive my Ferrari off a cliff if the blinker lights on the dash were as bright as these LEDs (and blinked constantly whether you plan on turning or not). I’ve enjoyed the comments we’ve exchanged. Have a happy holiday

https://twitter.com/mhzhao Michael Zhao

Put tape on it. That’s what I do. It’s not like the lights are necessary for functionality

Sean F.

Just thought I’d post as there’s not much change on this. The current state of Time Warner and other sites for the ultimate packages show that they will not support this model (Sb6141) for the highest speed packages any longer. Apparently they need to have at least the SB6183 model to get the 500+mbps packages from these new highspeed packages. Is it possible we can get a small update or a warning about that? As the 6141 does not and will never be supported for the highest level capable.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Forwarded!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Did you just plug in and go? Or did Cox provision it? And did you ever consider returning it on the off-chance that it’s defective? Not a lot of complaints I can find about this specific issue.

John

I want to replace my Comcast modem with the SB6141 cable modem. I only use Comcast for Internet access. I have a separate router for my phone which is Vonage. Will the SB6141 work the same as the Comcast Modem?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

It will work for replacing the Comcast modem, yes.

olu

yes it’s listed at comcast’s page for approved devices

btw what router do you use? i also have vonage and am switching from verizon dsl to comcast and buying a SB6141

http://www.hikingmike.com/ hikingmike

I’m a little late here but…

The last sentence in the article just doesn’t make any sense.

“The slightly older 6121 is a more economical alternative for more economical service plans but that $10 in savings will definitely be cut short as the 6141 will stay relevant for at least a year or two longer when your carrier requires DOCSIS 3.0. “

The 6121 is DOCSIS 3.0! WTF

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Forwarded1

Daveholio

The 6121 has 4×4 channel bonding, while the 6141 has 8×4. That’s the main difference.

http://www.hikingmike.com/ hikingmike

I know that. My comment is referring to the fact the article uses DOCSIS 3 as a differing point between the 6121 and the 6141 when they both are DOCSIS 3. Read it again maybe.

http://www.hikingmike.com/ hikingmike

Yes I know. So what? That’s not really related to my comment. Do you think the article was incorrect when it said DOCSIS 3.0 was one difference?

Daveholio

Right. Both are DOCSIS 3.0. However, the statement you quoted was essentially accurate about the 6141 being relevant for longer, due to the difference in channel bonding. I find that the 6141 is around $20 more expensive, however, rather than the $10 stated in the article. If the article explicitly claimed the 6121 was DOCSIS 2.0 only somewhere, I must have missed that…

http://www.hikingmike.com/ hikingmike

You’re just not reading it the same as I am I guess. I would agree if they cut off “when your carrier requires DOCSIS 3.0″.

Eugene Chan

In addition to the SB6183 which is overpriced at $129, there is now the Netgear CM500 at $99 (Amazon) and the SMC D3CM1604 for $58+shipping (ptsupply.com.) It’s a distributor, but they do sell to end-users as well. All are 16×4 modems based on the same Broadcom chipset. My D3CM1604 took some extra care by a Comcast engineer to provision, but he later mentioned the issue with the auto-provisioning tool was fixed. YMMV with other ISPs.

Craig Jacobs

This is far from the best modem. I’ve been through two of them – constant disconnects, etc. I’ve had cox out here multiple times. All the cabling, splitters, filters, etc have been replaced. I replaced my router. the only common link was the SB6141. I’ve been told by multiple people at Cox that they continuously have issues with this modem, both install tech and customer support people. I actually recommend this modem to a couple of friends about a year ago and both of them experienced the same issues that I do to a lesser extent. This modem is great when it works. If you’re OK cycling power a few times a week this modem is for you.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Do you have the Ultimate package? And the correct firmware?

Craig Jacobs

I have the premium package and the correct firmware. I actually had Cox push new firmware last night. Again.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Did that fix it? I’ve read reports of issues w/Ultimate package & firmware on Cox with this modem.

Craig Jacobs

Nope. It was the same firmware version. They thought maybe it was “corrupted”. No dice. Cox is coming (again) tomorrow, where they probably won’t find anything wrong (again).

jstoik1

We had been nothing but pleased with Cox’s stability over the years, but after upgrading to this modem, we began suffering from random connection drops. It is only just now 9AM locally, and there have already been 6 such drops today. Very frustrating!

Craig Jacobs

It turns out that one of out neighbors was leaking bad signal back into the local node and this modem is very sensitive to it. Even after they fixed the issue it crapped out once. I went and got a Zoom DOCSIS 3 modem and it’s been completely rock solid for the last 3 weeks…

jstoik1

The issue turned out the same for me. Cox came out, added something to help dampen the occasional line noise, but the SB continued freaking out. I ended up switching to the Zoom 5341J and have enjoyed perfect connectivity ever since.

http://www.michaelhorowitz.com Michael Horowitz

According to this blog by Joe Giron, the Motorola Surfboard modems (he doesn’t give model numbers) can be reset and/or rebooted by viewing a malicious web page. This is possible since the devices are not password protected.

I was able to have my router block access to 192.168.100.1 with an outbound firewall rule. Can’t speak to others routers out there.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Thanks!

Nam

Thanks for the recommendation, I just got this modem with the Apple Airport Extreme. I went from 10-20 Mbps down to 110-120 Mbps without switching services (comcast).

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

That’s terrific!

http://bethepower.com Todd Plants

Do you have a pick for eMTA-compatible device? When Comcast did my install, they said I couldn’t use this modem since I had voice on my account.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Unfortunately we don’t.

olu

Comcast told me if you get voice you *have* to lease their Home Gateway setup, you can’t buy your own.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I actually talked to a rep last night and he said you can buy them. He said he knew they were at Best Buy for about $150. I’ve yet to dig into this and find out if it’s true, but def something I’m going to be looking at this weekend!

olu

i wouldn’t doubt anything comcast says is b.s., i already hate them and they haven’t even installed anything yet (i don’t have any other choice because verizon dsl is just way too slow where i’m at and they’re not bringing in FioS)

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I’m in a similar situation. I wanted Verizon FIOS but they’re not in my area. There’s Century Link DSL, but it’s atrocious. No Time Warner, AT&T or Road Runner in my area. We have city-wide wifi, but it’s spotty for $35 a month. US Internet installed fiber about a mile from my house. Just out of the coverage zone but something to look forward to.

Literally my only option was Comcast. Or a 4G hotspot. Also, there’s no tier between 6 down/3 up and 50 down/10 up. And the price difference is “$10″. Not true after you add up all the taxes, surcharges, fees, rentals. $40 becomes $55 really fast.

I own my own modem (the one we rec above) and opted for the basic 6mbps. Beats the “free” wifi in my building. It’s a necessary evil and I seriously hope the FCC doesn’t let Comcast merge with anyone. They don’t need to be any bigger and shittier than they already are.

olu

Yeah I looked into CenturyLink but they’re “not allowed” to provide in my area (only one cable [Comcast] and one telecom [Verizon]). Sounds like a government-mandated monopoly (or duopoly) to me.

In the meantime Comcast’s merger with Time Warner is treading water…

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

If the AT&T/T-Mobile one didn’t happen, why on earth would anyone think this merger would be OK?

olu

Comcast has a diabolical way of getting what it wants from politicians (but I hope it fails).

John Kauai

FWIW:
Oceanic (Time-Warner) had me keep my Ubee modem as the eMTA when I installed a Motorola 6141. The phone service worked over the Ubee.

I find the 6141 has a DHCP server on it and it was providing a DHCP address to my Apple Airport Extreme. The cable company will not acknowledge it, but the 6141 DHCP server is only suppose to be available if the modem doesn’t sync with the cable company’s system.

If someone figures out how to turn this off, I think we could avoid a ton of problems. (I have no evidence to back this up.)

Alex

The technicians for TWC in Los Angeles said the SB6141 was only certified for 100mbps – the results showed this to be true. If you have TWC Maxxx (300/20) – get the 6183. Boo

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep you need that 6183 to get the 300mbps.

Ed in Charlotte

Time-Warner customers, beware; I’ve been running an SB6141 for the past six months (based in good part on this review) and finally had to give up on it… I won’t claim to know why the Motorola isn’t compatible with T-W’s infrastructure, but the stalls/stoppages/headaches reported are legit. Just replaced the 6141 yesterday with a Zoom (5341J, IIRC) and am already optimistic that the problem area has been identified and eliminated.

Just saying, you sent out a blast today on a deal on the currently outdated model on Amazon.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Just because it doesn’t work with the highest tier TWC service doesn’t make it outdated/obsolete. I just bought it through our deal today because I need it in Minnesota where I can’t even get TWC’s services.

Chris

At the rate that technology moves, you are better off just buying what you think you will likely need for the next 2 years for the best price. Two years later, there will be something newer than the newest today. For instance, if you want the highest tier (MAXX) on TWC, you now need the SB6183, the SB6141 won’t cut it.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Good tip!

MICHELLE STUART

Does this include wifi capability or would I have to purchase something seperate for wifi?

Realistically, you’d never be able to reach those speeds regardless.
Stephen Froehlich, the principal analyst at IHS’s Telecoms & Media
group, had this to say:

“As far as I know, no US cable operator currently exploits the full
capability of an 8×4 DOCSIS 3.0 modem, but they are instead only running
a maximum of 3×1 on their plant. Therefore, an 8×4 modem will last
longer, but it won’t run faster right now.”

And TWC offers a 300mbps package/tier too. We’re updating this guide, but people with super high tiers like that def are in the minority right now. As I noted below – I can’t even get RCN or TWC in my area let alone their high-speed tiers, and I know that’s the case for many others as well. But thanks for the feedback!

http://blog.seliger.com jseliger

We’re updating this guide

Ah! Makes sense. I’m looking into modems—a very exciting prospect, of course—because I need a new one to get the faster upload/download speeds. Perhaps not surprisingly, Motorola is making a new version of their previously recommended modem, and with any luck it’ll live up to the previous reviews.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep! The SB6183. We mention it in our new guide. It has the bonding that the 300mbps tier service requires.

John Kauai

If someone can figure out how to turn off the 6141 DHCP server.I would appreciate it.

I found that the 6141 did not synch correctly with the Oceanic router, which causes the 6141 to offer DHCP addresses to my Apple AEX. This, in turn, causes really stupid things to happen on the wireless network.

FWIW: I found that I needed to connect a laptop to the 6141 ethernet port for a period of time to ensure that it would receive a DCHP address from Oceanic (Time Warner) After that had stabilize for a while, moving the cable to the AEX provided a correct DHCP address on the AEX internet port.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Why are you using an Oceanic router with a modem you own?

John Kauai

I believe you misunderstand the physical connectivity.

The oceanic cable goes to a splitter which sends the signal to the Oceanic owned Ubee which is providing eMTA functionality for the phone. The Ubee is suppose to be used only for the phone. (Interesting that Oceanic lets me keep that system which they had been charging $8/month for when it was also used as an internet gateway).

The other cable goes to the 6141 which then has an Apple Airport Extreme router connected via ethernet. The airport connects to a switch that extends the wired LAN throughout the house and to the out-buildings. It also provides the wireless network for other systems.

For undetermined reasons, the 6141 kept rebooting when the Airport was plugged in and it was providing the Airport with a Local DHCP address. This kept happening for about an hour.

Eventually I plugged my laptop into the modem via ethernet cable, and it received an IP address from the Oceanic DHCP server. After letting that “stew” for about 30 minutes, I moved the cable back to the Airport and this time it received an Oceanic DHCP address. Finally things worked.

I’m wondering if there was some automatic download of new firmware during that reboot process.

I have the sb6141 on Brighthouse 15mbps plan. I get 7mbps download at best.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Funny. I’m on Comcast with their second lowest tier package and my speeds are faster than what I’m supposed to be seeing.

Has it been provisioned? Firmware up to date? And is this over Ethernet/wired? Or wifi? If it’s wifi you might be seeing slower speeds. Have you contacted Brighthouse regarding this?

King Pin

I’m looking at purchasing the 6141, but I do not have a Wi-Fi router. Any recommendations on a good router to purchase? I’m a single male in an apartment and I never do any gaming. But I do upload media to various websites and domains. Thank you.

This recommendation really needs to be brought up to date and recommend the ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6183 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem for advanced users.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We’re in the process of updating.

Modem truthteller

I will preface this comment by stating upfront that I have NO laboratory, controlled environment tests performed on this SB6141 (POS). All I have to go by is my experience in the field as a current, advanced level technician for a VERY large cable company. That being said; without even reading a single sentence of this piece of technical literary garbage, I can state without wavering that this “AMAZING, GREATEST-THING-SINCE-SLICED-BREAD” device that Mr. Ha is reporting on is an absolute nightmare when utilized in real world conditions. This device is notorious for being (a) extremely sensitive to and (b) unable to adjust to even the slightest, naturally occuring network fluctuations, so much so that I am beside myself that some “alleged” expert would sing such high praises for a sub-par device.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I think it’s great that you’re an advanced technician, but I own this modem & it’s fantastic. The other people I know that own it agree. And so do about 5,000 other people on Amazon. Seriously this thing has an INCREDIBLE review rate (4.5/5 stars). Can you explain why such a shitty product is working so well for so many? You’d think if it were so awful it wouldn’t be so well liked. But I’m not an advanced technician.

Michael

More about the security issues with Motorola modems and using a router to block access to the modem:

One thing that is making me want to get my own modem is that I can’t login to my issued modem. Looks like they are doing this to keep users out? The issued one is a Cisco DPC3008.

msk

Any plans to review Netgear’s CM500 (16×4) and CM400 (8×4)? They seem pretty close in the price range.

http://darwinweb.net/ Gabe da Silveira

Just a friendly neighborhood update from signing up for a new Comcast just a few minutes ago, they are now charging *$10* a month for modem rental.

Tom

What about the new model SB6183? It provides 16×4 bonding. Comcast web page indicates they support the SB6183. Does anyone have any experience?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

It’s in our upcoming refresh. Good modem

Bobby

Yep, TWC requires the SB6183 for the Ultimate 300 plan. Bummer since I bought the 6141 expressly for the purpose of being future proof based on this article.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Return the 6141 & pick up the 6183. You shan’t be disappointed with our upcoming refresh!

JK

Just picked up this modem on Thursday from Staples in the bay area. The price was $40 out the door with the tax. They are clearing out the SB6141s and with the increase by Comcast to $10 for monthly fees, purchasing this modem is a no-brainer.. That is if you choose to stick with Comcast. (which is still up in the air because something tells me Comcast is not a company to stick with for the long haul.

With the help of a graphic designer, we tested 11 iPad styluses to find the best for notes and sketching. The Adonit Jot Pro has a clear plastic disc tip so you can see what you’re drawing or writing (a feature the competition universally lacks). It’s also comfortable to hold and it most closely mimicked the feeling of pen on paper during our tests.